Chapter 30
The remnants of the Asgardian army had vanished, scattered through the Bifrost.
But not all had escaped.
Vidar, the God of Nature, remained behind.
Along with tens of thousands of Asgardian warriors.
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Vidar was unlike his brothers.
Where Thor commanded storms and Baldur radiated divine light, Vidar was one with nature itself.
He could bend the will of beasts and draw strength from the land, making him a warrior unlike any other.
But now—
He was a prisoner.
Bound by the crushing force of Ebony Maw's telekinesis, Vidar struggled against the unseen grip holding him aloft.
His emerald cloak, once flowing with divine energy, hung in tatters.
Yet his defiance did not waver.
"You think this war is over?" Vidar spat, his voice like the whisper of rustling leaves before a storm. "My father will return. And when he does, your empire will be dust beneath Asgard's wrath."
Lin Fan, seated on his throne, tapped the armrest idly.
In his grip, Gungnir—the Eternal Spear—gleamed under the dim light.
He lifted the weapon slightly, letting its weight settle in his palm.
"I've noticed something about the Aesir," he mused, glancing down at Vidar. "You all love to talk about what you'll do… yet you failed to do anything when it mattered."
Laughter erupted from the hall.
Vidar's face twisted in rage.
"You—!"
Lin Fan flicked his fingers.
The invisible force gripping Vidar tightened instantly—his breath caught in his throat as the pressure crushed down on him.
But Lin Fan's gaze wasn't on him anymore.
He was looking at Ebony Maw.
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Ebony Maw was kneeling, his normally pristine robes drenched in blood.
The wound from Gungnir had not healed.
A jagged hole remained where Odin's spear had impaled him, golden divine energy still searing his flesh.
His normally elegant fingers trembled as he clutched his side, the pain barely restrained behind his bowed head.
Even with all his mastery over telekinesis—he could not undo the damage Odin had left upon him.
Lin Fan leaned forward slightly.
"Ebony Maw," he said. "You're still breathing."
Ebony Maw, ever the loyal servant, lowered his head.
"A testament to your will, my lord," he said through gritted teeth. "I will endure."
Lin Fan twirled Gungnir idly.
"You were speared like a fish by an old man past his prime," he mused. "That's not very impressive, is it?"
Ebony Maw did not speak.
Lin Fan's golden eyes glinted.
Then—
Gungnir began to shake.
Lin Fan's fingers tightened instinctively, but the spear pulled against his grip.
His gaze sharpened.
Divine runes lit up along Gungnir's length.
The spear was being recalled.
Even weakened, even retreating—Odin still had control over his weapon.
With a sharp pulse of golden light, Gungnir wrenched itself free from Lin Fan's grasp, disappearing in a streak of divine energy.
For a brief moment, silence settled in the hall.
Then Lin Fan chuckled.
"Well," he mused, flexing his fingers. "That's annoying."
He wasn't particularly upset.
It just meant Odin wasn't finished yet.
That was fine.
Lin Fan liked unfinished stories.
He turned back to Ebony Maw, who was still kneeling, blood dripping onto the stone floor.
"Rest," Lin Fan said, waving a hand. "You're no good to me like this."
Ebony Maw, despite his wounds, bowed deeply.
"As you command."
Lin Fan gestured toward Vidar.
"Throw him in a cell. I'll decide his fate later."
Even through his pain, Ebony Maw's fingers twitched—Vidar was yanked away by invisible force, disappearing into the depths of the stronghold.
With that settled, Lin Fan turned his attention to something else.
Ebony Maw had brought news.
News of the Mind Stone.
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Lin Fan drummed his fingers against the throne's armrest.
"The Mind Stone?"
Ebony Maw nodded, wincing slightly as he shifted.
"The information came from a group of interstellar pirates," he explained. "They had no reason to lie. But there was… something unusual about them."
Lin Fan raised an eyebrow.
"Unusual?"
Supergiant stepped forward, her silver eyes glinting.
"I tested them myself," she said. "Using my psionic abilities."
"And?" Lin Fan prompted.
Supergiant's lips curled slightly.
"Their minds were altered," she said. "Tampered with by something powerful. Something far beyond their understanding."
For the first time in a while, Lin Fan's amusement faded.
The pirates were mercenaries—useful, but predictable.
If their minds had been tampered with…
Then someone—or something—was already using the Mind Stone.
Lin Fan gripped the throne's armrest tighter.
"Where?"
Ebony Maw, still kneeling, bowed his head.
"A forgotten world. The remnants of an empire long lost. They called it—Sakaar."
A slow smile spread across Lin Fan's face.
The hunt was on.
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